the uppers & downers of parenting (or, coffee & wine)

I never drank coffee before I had kids. At least not in a “Fresh Pots!” sort of way. We didn’t even own a coffee maker.

Back in those days, I looked down upon anyone who needed coffee in the morning. The more they required it the less I thought of them. They were weak. Slaves to the bean. Didn’t they know it is a drug they are addicted to? Just stop drinking that shit and then you won’t need it.

Then I had two kids.

Kids wake-up with energy. Kids wake-up with loudness.

Kids wake-up too fucking early.

No I will not play with you. Go away. I need coffee.

After coffee:

I don’t need it. But they need me to have it.

I’ll stop drinking it just as soon as they stop waking me up before the rooster crows.

(We don’t actually have a rooster. Did you think we did when I wrote that? That would be cool. Maybe I should take this out and let you think we have a rooster.)

So that is my little helper pick-me-upper in the morning.

And then there is the evening.

Sometimes, after an especially rough day, I’m stressed out at night.

Everything sets me on edge. I’m a bundle of nervous thoughts.

Go to bed. I can’t handle one more minute of this parenting thing. I have to do this again tomorrow! How can I handle another day like this one? Nobody is listening to me!

lol my husband brings me coffee in bed in the morning for the same reason. Make sure wife has uppers so she gets up and feeds the children…. especially if I’ve only managed to carve out a bit of me time after midnight. He knows he’s lucky to have 1.5 hrs a day on the train to read and check out. When I’m on the train I’m trying to make sure the children don’t die….

Where can I find me a coffee bringing husband, mine gets to go to work and forget us alllll day long. I tried to work though when I got home the kids were still AT me and hubby still sat down to relax (drink beer). Oh and DO NOT start me on “time out for yourself crap”

LOL Im with you and all the other moms – I need my coffee to get my day started!! And I usually finish off the night with some ice cream Good to know all the other moms go thru the same emotions. You capture it very well in your blog! xox

I’m another one who started drinking coffee for the first time after I became a mom. Somehow I made it through architecture school and its nonstop all-nighters on willpower and orange juice alone, but motherhood is another thing entirely. Problem is, I’m a lightweight. One cup of coffee wakes me up, for sure, but it makes me so hyper that I can’t focus my energy. And if I dare have any, say, after noon, I’m up all night.

Right there with you ladies. Up allll night. It is also part of my marital contract with my husband that if I have caffeine after noon I warn him so that he can run and hide. I might be a little bit too hyper. Like, the toddler has nothing on me.

Hilarious! We all need it! And yes, we all hopefully dont do it everyday. I actually laugh at myself because I buy a bottle of red wine hoping to have a glass twice a week but I forget that I have a two year old that doesn’t allow me to drink liquids unless he can have some. For some reason he has to take my drink every night. People tell me to drink it after they go to bed, truth is, I have to lay down with him to get him to go to bed. We all know that after an hour of him poking me in the eye asking if I am still up…I am not going to be ready for wine! I joke with my husband when he wants to go out to eat(which never happens) I say “yeah we can go out to eat if I can drink first! Cuz then I just dont care, LOL” he says I’m terrible. LOL

Aww man, you hit the nail right on the head with this one. I didn’t start drinking coffee until I had kids, either. I don’t do ANYTHING for them until that coffee is consumed, and they know it. I haven’t had the wine though – I’ve been either nursing and/or pregnant for about 4 years now but I can’t WAIT until I get to that point

I didn’t start drinking coffee until after kid number 2 b/c kid number 1 liked to keep my hours and would snuggle in bed until 9 or 10! I miss those days. Why oh why must our public school start at 7:45. That’s the one and only thing that make me want to homeschool.

My husband is over seas right now and I have a hard time sleeping when he’s gone. So it’s extra coffee in the morning Tea in the afternoon. Beer or wine with supper to start unwinding and with hubby (and since he’s the normal morning shift person) gone, 1 benadryl after the kids are in bed so I can fight my inner night owl and fall asleep at a decent hour.

@Julie – My brother and SIL handled the “he wants everything I drink” thing by telling him (at 2) there are some things mommies and daddies drink that kids can not drink until they are mommies and daddies. He understood it well enough to not sip their drink. And then when he was old enough to understand he didn’t care to try it. On their anniversary, when he was 10, he took them breakfast in bed — a 12 oz glass of milk for his pregnant mom, and a 12 oz glass of WINE for his dad! “Good morning!” (My brother took a sip so as to not make him feel bad, and then poured the rest back in the bottle when he wasn’t looking. LOL)

Pretty sure you and I would be besties. LMAO, You are freaking hilarious. And SO RIGHT. I don’t have a downer figured out yet (or at least not while they’re awake, but muscle relaxers which I need for fibromyalgia, are bomb) as I choose to not drink in support of family members struggling with alcoholism. An occasional glass of wine would be perfect though. You’re my favorite.

So I’m not a crazy hot mess of emotions… other mom’s are like this?! My worst moments are after the coffee where’s off and my oldest two of four come to join the circus after school and they need help with their homework.. lately, with my 3rd grader, I say mommy’s to dumb to get this wait till dad gets home and ask him…. droooool then wine… ahhhh

“Kids wake-up too fucking early.” Yes, yes they do!! I have to have earl grey tea every morning. I can’t have the wine right now (preggo) but looking forward to adding it back in! Chocolate and ice cream have to suffice in the meantime.

I was just thinking of adjusting my “meds” during the day. JUST got “the screamer” and “the brat” down for a nap. Can’t decide if I need chocolate to jazz up, or a drink to calm down. Probably too early for a drink, maybe a nap would do it instead. Saving my second cup of coffee for later in the afternoon so I can teach my class tonight. LOVE this post!!

I wash an Adderall down with my morning coffee. And today that wasn’t even enough to make me alert enough for two little 2 year old roosters, squawking, “MAMA! I WANT CEWEAL!” at 5 a.m. (oh– and I am already looking forward to my five pm glass of whatever). Judgmental people are boring and annoying!

I’m adding the occasional NyQuil to the list. Mine; not the children’s. Although once I gave my daughter Dimetap when she was like, 3 just to get her to sleep for longer than an hour at a time. Which she had been doing for three straight years. She’s 16 now so I can tell you this. The statute of limitations has run out. (PS: they totally took Dimetap off the shelves by the time kids #2 and #3 made their appearance so those children are safe in my care. Except when I haven’t had my coffee yet. Or my wine.)

So, what about us Mormons… ya know, the ones who don’t drink coffee or wine… or swear? Well let me tell you what you do in the case that you’re a Mormon: you eat a LOT of Nutella (there’s something euphoric about it) and did you know that Swiss Miss has a ‘Pick-me-up Breakfast Blend’ which, thankfully, has ‘as much caffeine as a cup of coffee’… OH and it is an ‘excellent source of Calcium’ too. Score!! Even Mormons need their drugs ;P

coffe and wine everyday…….it’s a delicate balance. but then I was worried about have a glass (or two) of wine every night – so I am substituting wine with herbal tea a few nights a week….not quite the same – but easier on the liver.
Just the other morning my almost 3yr old was bouncing off the wall at 6:30am saying “want to play Buzz and Woody” (he loves toy story) I said “not right now, what mommy REALLY wants it is to finish her (now cold) coffee (which was in the other room). Next thing I know, he hands me my coffee cup…..so sweet….so of course I played Buzz and Woody and sipped my cold coffee.

I have two year old twin boys and I have just started to depend on caffine in the morning. I use it in the form of tea. Even when I was in the Army I only resorted to coffee once or twice. Kids are much more exhausting than the Army!

LOL @Aleshia. I was just about to post about us Mormon moms who drink neither coffee or wine. Spoonfuls of fudge frosting for breakfast, a pint of ice cream and a spoon to wind down in the evenings, and eating chocolates out of the “good stash” in the pantry with the door shut so you don’t have to share (since the kids don’t appreciate the good stuff, they are happy with the cheap waxy stuff) at regular intervals during the day. We all do what we must to survive.

Who are these horrible people who read your blog and post hateful comments and send emails? I wish we could reveal who they are, and go on a witch hunt I never, ever drank wine daily until I had a child. Now one glass per night is the norm!

I recently ran to the store with my kids to pick up just an ingredient or two for a recipe. And of course I added a bottle of inexpensive wine. When I realized I left my wallet at home, I grabbed the $20 I keep in the car, and let the cashier know that if it was just over $20, let me know and I’d have to take something out (but i’d rather not if I don’t have to..). When it was just over, she was like, “What did you want to take out? Not the wine. You need that with kids.” I laughed so hard. I didn’t realize quite how necessary (or common) my glass was.

I was stupid and vowed to give up alcohol while I was breastfeeding. Who knew he would last 2 years and still be going strong? He doesn’t really want to, he just doesn’t want me to have any fun. As a friend pointed out however, I would probably do him a favour if I started drinking a little bit and cut down on the coffee and diet coke… but I had one teeny, tiny beer at a Boxing Day BBQ (we are clever and have Christmas in summer) and have felt guilty and like a failure ever since!

Beer is actually good for breast milk production And in moderation, it’s even fine for the little guys. They make strips to test breast milk for alcohol if you’re really worried, but I agree – most of the time it’s just easier to not drink when nursing Last month I broke down a couple of times and had itty-bitty grasshoppers (I’d bought the liqueurs for Grasshopper Pie for Christmas, and had non-alcoholic Bailey’s Cream coffee creamer :P). My son’s molars were coming in… and frankly it helped us BOTH get through those times…. And coffee is a daily thing. As a full-time working mom I NEED my coffee.

oh, i just wanted to add that when i need a drink the most is while making dinner–while 2 kids are screaming and clinging to my legs, and during bathtime. phew! but, i must say that being a mama is the best thing in the world. the hardest but the bestest!

I survived architecture school on stubbornness and Dr. Pepper. My 2-year old, however, requires me to have coffee. One cup a day. One really, really, BIG cup. As in, I stole my husband’s “Bubba Mug” cup and now consume half a pot of coffee with just one cup. It’s awesome.

LOL!!!! My ex husband used to say the same thing about coffee drinkers. “Coffee is for the weak”… until I introduced him to the cafe mocha at Starbucks. I however, have been a self proclaimed, long-time, non recovering caffeine addict! After my son, I now use downers too. BTW- there’s a song by “Ralph’s World” and it goes a little somethin’ like this… “M-O-MM-Y needs C-O-FF-EE, D-A-DD-Y needs C-O-FF-EE…”

Alyce (who is four) was asking me about good “growing drinks” the other day, as we were distinguishing between important drinks we have everyday (milk and water), and the ones that are treats (juice, chocolate milk). After listing milk and water, she quickly added: “and coffee, you have to have coffee.”

Is it since you haven’t had coffee and see things negatively, or am I imagining that you’re starting to draw yourself heavier? Now that I’m done reading this (and those comments) and finishing my coffee, I must go find chocolate.

AFA kids waking up too f’ing early… and I’m over people — WITHOUT KIDS — telling me to tell the kids to go back to bed at 5 in the morning. Like I haven’t tried that?!? LOL. Or and here’s a good one, “Just, like, tell them to totally play quietly in their rooms.” Yeah… the quieter they are, the more alert I need to be.

and this is why my husband (who doesn’t drink coffee) makes coffee Every. Single. Morning. without being asked LOL even though he gets up before me. I blame not only the children but the all the stupid people in my life for the occasions when beer is an evening necessity

I actually tried to give up caffeine right around when my kiddo turned two and still wasn’t sleeping through the night (I do NOT recommend this). I stubbornly struggled through a severe brain fog for several weeks until we went on a summer vacation to visit extended family. One morning, I emerged wild-eyed and furious from a night of hell in the oven-like, un-airconditioned upstairs room of my grandparent’s house where I had slept – well, passed the night – with my wakeful toddler. The thought of facing a day filled with pleasant catch-up conversation with friendly relatives made me want to lash out violently. So my husband got me a cup of coffee, and I haven’t looked back.

Sometimes, ya gotta put a little alcohol on it!! I totally feel you. Coffee (sometimes two, three times a day!) gets me through until my nerves get the best of me, and I definitely need a beer, cocktail or a glass of wine so my anxiety doesn’t take over and turn me into Momma-monster. Gotta find the right formula to get you through motherhood, that’s for sure!

I could never understand those mothers I’ve seen in some movies, the ones addicted to amphetamines. They were home with the kids all day long. Ok, they did laundry and stuff, but come on… these hollywood writers…

Fast forward 5 years and one kid:
How where those pills called, please? :))))

This is me too. Didn’t drink it until after kids, addicts are weak. Now. I’m SUCH a better mom after my coffee in the morning. Nicer, more patient, more interested and I keep a damn tidy house too. And the wine is hilarious–I tend to just get cranky and have only dabbled with wine, but now that I read this I think I need to add it to my daily routine. I think bedtime would be way more mellow.

bahaha! my husband has done the same thing. one day i about lost it in the kitchen after dropping a freshly cooked meal all over the floor after a night of a non-sleeping baby and he didn’t even ask, just went over to the coffee maker and started a pot. When it was done he got me a cup and asked me not to go without again i even named my blog (mommy needs her coffee) after my need for coffee everyday!

One of my favorite playdate moms texted me yesterday to ask me if I wanted Starbucks as she was stopping on her way over to my place. She showed up with a grande latte – she is awesome!! Better than Christmas! (really one of my ‘big’ gifts was tea towels).

I pretty much love you. Never a coffee drinker before having a kid, I’ve now totally embraced it. And in the evening I watch enough reality tv to numb even the most manic mind. I’m not proud of it, but there it is.

I have a 15 month old and I’m pregnant!
I am not handling life as a recovering addict well at all. I’ve had to substitute those lovely drugs for ice cream, so now I will be tired, but also fat! Hurrah! What I used to do after a really hard day was spoil myself with sushi! And then wine in the bath. Sigh.
I too was a former caffeine-free smuggy. I’m sorry people!

I drank 32 oz of coffee and consumed basically a small apple pie for breakfast because I realized that it was already manager’s specialed when Hubby brought it home two days ago and it was still on the counter and if I didn’t step in, it would come to a tragic end in the trash can and that is too terrifying to imagine.

Also, “I don’t need it. But they need me to have it.” Going on the wall. Above the Keurig (which my boy can use to brew my coffee FOR ME ) and beside the wine rack (which is always mysteriously empty no matter how often I buy it presents.)

well- as a mom of 3 grown kids ( one whom is defying the odds of living at home while in school- who said 19 years was an education??…. and now on to PHD??) and also 5 grandkids- I either drink coffee and wine- or will have to inject chocolate directly into my veins… Although retired- my kids didn’t get that memo- so now I care for 4 of the 5 grandkids…. most daily… and if the coffee and wine weren’t addictive enough- apparently the love of grandkids is even more so…. here’s to long life!!

I thought maybe you were working on Crappy Kids, Phase 3? Crappy Newborn??? Is there something you’re not telling us?
(I can only say that because it’s not actually a real PICTURE of you, it’s just you drawing you and you’re probably adding extra lumps and bumps that aren’t really there in real life… Plus, I’ve seen your REAL picture and you’re annoyingly skinny, so it makes me feel good to accuse you of looking pregnant, even though I’m sure you don’t in REAL life. I mean, unless you ARE… Hee hee.)

Sweetie the point WHY the LDS do not drink coffee or teas is because they HAVE caffeine. Your spose to stay away from anything that has mind altering drugs. So yes that means you have to drink caffeine free sodas. Did you know that chocolate has caffeine in it too? You might need to rethink some things. My LDS family members all drink caffeine free sodas.

Omg, you’re such a coffee addicted alcoholic!! Shame on you…I’m totally kidding!! I’m with ya on that too! It’s too bad that you have to even use those disclaimers. Why do people read if they don’t like what you say? No one makes them go to your blog. Shame on them for being so up tight and potentially dying from a brain aneurysm and leaving their children parent-less. Amber, you crack me up!! I look forward to reading your posts!!

I drink coffee in the multiples. As in, a pot a day. And this leaves me still remaining so tired that wine would just be irreleveant when she lets me sleep at night. XD Pretty soon I’ll be begging hubby to let me get a 20 pack of Redbulls every week. Wheee!

I think you are hilarious and I love reading your blog! I would love it even more though if you didn’t drop f-bombs. (It’s your blog of course, but I wanted to give you my feedback.) Thanks again for all the laughs:)

I say you stay at home mothers need to grow up and suck it up. Try getting a real job AND parenting. And just think, I did it all without alcohol…somehow having great kids was enough for me. Ever think it’s not about YOU????????????????????

Of course it’s about us. We are the life support systems for our children. Writing sanctimoniously about how you WORK AND parent WITHOUT alcohol, well bully for you, enjoy being perfect up on your cloud. A happy, relatively sane mama who loves her kids and copes most days with a smile, is imho a woman who has learned to balance her needs with her kids’ needs. I’m sure you do that too so why judge others who do it differently? Doesn’t anyone criticise you for your choices? Cos you have the SAME RIGHT to make those choices without being criticised. Cos, ya know, none of us are perfect. We live on love and hope, doing the hardest, best job in the world. Love my kids. Kept ‘em in spite of everything. I still love coffee to start the day, and a nip of something encouraging to get thru bedtime. Bedtime breath! Hahahah, made myself laugh!!

Suck it up? I work more than full time and my ex-husband lives in another country so end of the day…its on me and I could never imagine begin as anal retentive as this post makes you seem. Maybe a glass of wine would do you some good? Get that amazingly large stick out of your ass. I hope you are more relaxed when addressing your children. And honestly…you may want to read that last sentence you wrote and look in the mirror because you made it all about YOU.

Haha cause people don’t actually need time to themselves to be alone and think and be a real person without a baby attached to their hip sometimes. Nope. That’s selfish. How could anyone want to have things that make them happy? I say if you’re not giving 24/7, you’re selfish…and dead inside, but who cares about that? Hah. “Did you know that judgmental people are ugly?”

LOL, yet you are here and taking the time to be you, a judgmental B. If you can take time to judge everyone else and be a huge B I sure as hell can take time when I get the chance. I just love hypocrisy/stupididty.

I so can’t do the coffee, unless it has LOTS of sugar in it, but energy drinks, those little babies are my helpers. My 3 year old will tell me when I am grouchy, “mommy, do you want me to get you your monster??” LOL

and yet you are still doing it yourself…..how many posts now? Damn you need a lifeline sweetie cuz you are out in left field. I come here and read the blog and comments because it is sometimes the only mommy feedback I get. I work,cook and clean pretty much 24/7 and just being ale to connect online once in a while and see how others are coping and what idea they may have has been a huge help in my life and I am grateful for so many beautiful and honest mothers that come on here and share the laughs and tears. You sound so spiteful I have to wonder if you hate being a mom. The only thing coming across is resentment. I hope you are ok.

I have gotten to the point where coffee no longer has any effect on my tired brain. I find myself with 3-4 cups of coffee in the morning, falling asleep by noon, and wired with my evening glass of Rose Courvousier (the best French red wine infused cognac EVER).

i wish there was a like button or a +1 on here! i’ve been both and they’re both equally hard, just for different reasons! and besides, mother does not equal martyr! and also, any mental health professional will tell you that every human being needs “me time”, it’s not just limited to parents!

So nice to know that other people suffer as I do! Misery loves company right? I only have one child but she has the energy of at least 2maybe even more! I swear if I could bottle and sell that energy id retire early, quit coffee and pay you to write these posts. I’m subscribing immediately to u!

My unsung parenting tool? The bathroom break. when hubby is home for the evening and has a chance to keep my 3 year old occupied, I pipe up with: “I’m gonna be in the bathroom for a few minutes!” lock the door, turn on the fan, I can sit and read a book or knit a few rows, or surf Facebook on my phone for about 15 – 20 minutes. Sometimes if I really do have to go, I do that as well! Bonus! But a lot of the time, it’s just some solo mommy time to re-group for a bit. Oh yes, lots of times there’s pounding on the door, or little fingers sliding under it: “Mommy? Open the door mommy! I want to come inside too! Mommy?” If it’s really urgent I cut my time short. If not, There’s a bit of back and forth until I’m done my chapter. then a flush to keep up appearances that I was actually in there for authentic bathroom business, wash my hands and I’m back in the game.

Correction, there is no LDS rule against caffeine. This is a common misconception. Over the decades many LDS families have chosen to go without caffeine, citing it as a logical reason for the rule against coffee and tea, but it is not the rule. I applaud your family going without unnecessary things, but your interpretation of the scriptures, while a laudable choice, is not doctrine.

I laughed so hard that my three year old [who insists on sitting in my lap ‘to checking the facebook’ with me] started laughing hysterically as well. This is my EXACT feelings on both Coffee and Wine. I never drank anything but green tea before kids [and water, and yoo-hoos. but I digress], and now I CANNOT FUNCTION without my morning upper and my evening downer [although I do try to limit the wine to one glass, it depends entirely on how easy bedtime is and how much of a disaster the house is in afterward]. I absolutely LOVE ‘crappy pictures’. The best thing ever.

We had a rooster when we lived in a duplex 2 years ago. My Kurdish neighbor who spoke very little English knocked on my door, and took my hand, leading me out to my side of the backyard (the yard was fenced in on all sides and down the middle). She was a sweet older lady who was a few years older than my mom. She pointed to four hens and a rooster who were pecking around in my yard and asked,”ok? No problem?” So awesome. They roamed around my yard for about 6-8 weeks before she knocked on my door again, this time with a plate of freshly butchered chicken meat.

I was never a morning person pre -kids and now like you say they are at an age where they jump out of bed and despite me reminding them that they NEED to be QUIET in the Morning they never listen, sigh. So alas mummy cant play until she has had 2 CUPS of COFFEE. Now go away and play little ones …just this morning i get woken up because Mr 5 wants to pee and daddy was doing number 2, (and somehow our ensuite loo door was locked ? With no one in there ,(which was weird ) and he would usually use that one if the main loo was preoccupied… Why cant i get to sleep in, or have a nap or not get woken up anymore.. ho hum

There is no argument. When you get up in the morning (for your 3-4 cups of coffee), and happen to have a sick child, what do you do? You stay at home with that sick child, no questions asked, no issues, nobody to answer to. What does a working mother do? Panic, because she may or may not find a sitter, she may or may not keep her job, she may or may not be able to take her own child to the doctor. You tell me–which sounds more stressful? And a working mother’s evenings? Housework that she couldn’t do during the day, dinner, dishes, laundry, homework, baths, some attempted one-on-one time with her children, maybe a few minutes with her husband to catch up on the day. Any reasonably sane person cannot by any measure compare that day with the day of a stay-at-home mother. It would be nice, maybe once in a while, to hear a stay at home mother actually sound like she appreciated her good fortune instead of whining about how her kids stress her out. And yes, Amber, parenting is a real job. I did that plus worked outside the home, without gallons of coffee or alcohol. It’s called being a grown up.

And yes, Becca, being a grown up and knowing how to be superior as a parent, worker, person, mother, wife and blog-commenter has made you so accepting, compassionate and supportive. Grownup? I call it unhelpful. Does your life make you feel superior to other people because you think you have it harder? Does your partner do 50% of the ‘stressful evening housework’? Maybe you need to forget the housework and remember what your children look like when they get more than ‘attempted one-on-one’ time. Maybe they deserve a life where mum’s timetable includes a little more ‘them’ and a little less ‘MyHardLife’ comes first. A little domestic chaos is a small price for some time when the kids get to come first, hmm?

Hey Becca- What crawled up your ass and died. I have soooo many things I want to say to you but first bummer for your kids that they have someone other than their mother kissing their boo-boos, and reading them stories and loving on them all day. Jealous much? Do your kids call their sitter mommy? Suck it up. You made your bed now lie in it!

I can’t stress this enough – EAR PLUGS!!! It’s not like you suddenly can’t hear them, it’s more like you’ve just turned the volume down a little bit. Loud noises make me tense and edgy (in a bad way, not a cool way), so they are a total sanity saver in my house.

Me too! No one believes me when I say I’m allergic, so I just say I can’t have it. I can handle most teas because it has a different, slower caffeine. But, by the end of the day, I’m exhausted and need a beer! Not drinking wine when pregnant was tough, but now that I’m done having kids, I have a beer each night after the girls go to bed.

Just to let you know (so you’d don’t rush out and buy one ;-)) having a rooster live in your vicinity is not much fun…roosters wake up even earlier than the kids do. The crowing at dawn stuff is a myth unless dawn comes at 4:30 a.m. in your part of the world. Sad but true… ;-p

When I was seven months pregnant and desperately needed coffee, my doctor told me that coffee is sometimes necessary and the lesser of the evils. Now that my kid is walking, I need coffee with a lot of sugar AND chocolate. Sigh..

I’m sorry you were so unhappy as a working mother. Your life must have been rough for you to have become such a bitter person. I’m not a SAHM so I can’t tell you how easy I have it or speak to my good fortune but your comments stink of negativity and unhappiness. Take care of yourself.

Exceptional post, as usual! And ohmygoodness thank you for sharing the FRESH POTS! link, an exclamation which I will now probably yell every morning. And midafternoon. Anytime really, right up until I switch to yelling “FULL GLASS!” in the evening.

Ha. You’re too funny, but thanks. My life has been wonderful and my children — raised by a “bitter” working mother — are now amazing adults, productive college graduates and functioning members of society. What “stinks of negativity and unhappiness” are these women on here complaining about their children. Ear plugs to drown our the sound of their voices? Wine to dull the pain of it all? Seriously?

Why DO kids getting up sooooo early! I mean even if you keep them up later with the hope of even 15 extra mins before the breakfast requests, which never change for me mind you, begin! You always make me smile and I tell everyone, even my single guy friends, to read your blog and they love it! Maybe I need to try coffee….have to buy a new coffee maker though as ours is holding up a shelf in our cabinet….

Wow, thank you, I really needed this one today, I’m still breast feeding htough and only recently started having decaf…even if it doesn’t do much, I like the placebo effect. Chocolate certainly helps too, especially in mousse form.

Oddly I gave up caffeine when I had my baby, just about 2 years ago. Yes, I was a hardcore coffee junkie & stayed on it about 4 months after the birth…but I discovered that it was actually easier to deal with the early risings if my head was not in a fog from caffeine withdrawal…now if I have it I’m up all night! Also very glad to hear I’m not the only one with a glass of wine in my hand while the little one eats her dinner….

You are effing brilliant. I used to judge coffee drinkers, too…big time. Then after the birth of my second, you would think I bought stock from Juan Valdez (no, not being racist…he was the coffee GOD of the 80s, and rode donkeys in the mountains – v. cool guy). Then I had my third…and ‘double-shot’ became part of my daily vernacular. I just found out today that I’m “with child” for the 4th time (others are 4, 2, 11 months), and wondering if Starbucks offers a venti espresso. Kidding…(but only if you’re offended).

Rebecca: ME TOO!!! When my husband forgets to make a new pitcher of tea, there’s a giant ruckus. I wake up, go to the fridge and… “Where’s my TEA?! THERE’S NO TEA! GO. TO. CHICK. FIL. A. NOW!!” Since the baby is now getting up at 5 or so, we have two pitchers in the fridge. : )

I already loved you, but then you reference the Dave Grohl Fresh Pots video and now I love you more, lol!
I really should take up coffee and wine, neither of which I like. But really, all I have is Dr Pepper and chocolate, and it’s just not enough.

It is totally ok and here’s why. There is only ever as much alcohol in your milk as there is currently in your blood. So if you have a drink or even 2 immediately after feeding by the time you need to feed again your body will have processed it and there won’t be any in your milk. And unless you’ve gone out for a bender, gotten drunk and missed a feed there’s no need to pump and dump either. Hope this makes you feel better.

Hahahaha, I was thinking that too, this mormon has OJ for her “Coffee” substitute and Walking the dog in the evening when the hubby comes home is my “Wine” substitute. Although, on really tough days, there’s always the hidden chocolate stash

You have made my new year’s resolution that much harder to keep! Six days of no coffee or wine… my resolve was weakening this morning… and then I read this. I’m screwed, all I can think about now is cooooo-feeeeeee.

I wish my husband would hand me a glass of wine. THat would be magical. As is stands he doesn’t understand the appeal of either the coffee or the wine, which is sad for me. Sometimes he tries to get me to drink a beer in the evening. He doesn’t understand that if it doesn’t come with something from the grill and summer, that the beer is not working for me.

I am right there with you!!! Coffee and wine are essential! When my husband and I were living in Kenya some years back (we now live in NY), our housekeeper asked me if I ever drank water Said that if you have a mailing address I would be happy to send you my favourite morning pick-me-up! Kenyan Coffee is the best!

I love you for this line alone. Much less the rest of this fantastic post.

Here’s a dirty secret. I drink caffeine when I’m pregnant too. Because my energy needs don’t mysteriously go down with two kids under 5 just because I’m incubating another human to drain the life outta me. I don’t mainline the stuff (only because I haven’t figured out how to give myself an IV) but I do enjoy two doses of caffeine a day when I’m dead to the world tired. Shhhhhhhhh.

I abstain from the occasional glass of wine when pregnant though. (Because my husband is a hater.)

becca. i provide for my daughter WHILE staying at home. ON MY OWN without any man. I don’t judge amber though and I don’t judge other women who like to drink coffee or have a glass of wine. I personally don’t drink either but that is my choice.
move on. if you don’t want to read these cute little stories then move on, that’s what a grown up would really do.
And it is better to stay with your children especially when they are so young. That’s what a mother’s job is. Yes not everyone has a husband or baby’s father that will work and help support the family so some women need to work and find a cheap sitter. But you need to stop judging the women that do stay home with their children. You say that you know what it’s like to stay home with them but I guess you really don’t know what it’s like because you say it’s so much easier than having a job. If you hate your job so much then figure out a way to provide for your children while staying at home taking care of them. If they are already school aged then obviously thats why its easy to take care of them because they aren’t there.

I don’t drink alcohol or caffeinated stuff. I gave up both for health reasons before pregnancy, plus I breastfeed and also caffeine makes me jittery and I have trouble sleeping so it’s a no go for me. BUT I do love chocolate and ice cream. When my days are stressful or frustrating I grab a bowl of ice cream or some chocolate. Or I escape to the bathroom for just a couple minutes for a few deep breaths then back to my little one who is 15 months old. When I get a chance to shower and my baby is in her play yard watching a video that is my only break in the day. too bad there’s no ice cream dispenser in my shower. That would be awesome.

Don’t get a rooster. Seriously. Those f###ers can’t tell the time. Our neighbour’s one crows at midnight, and then at random times throughout the night. Not funny when your 4 yr old says, “but it MUST be morning, the rooster woke me up” for the eleventy-billionth time.

I don’t have kids but I love your blog. I got through an MBA and a stressful job on diet coke and coffee. I time my working day to start an hour after my first coffee otherwise I am a hideous pile of babbling nonsense. Keep up the good work Amber

THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST! so unbelievably true. and then when you’ve had a little too much of the calm-me-downer juice at night, you can freeze those circle teething rings and put them over your eyes!

Wow. Unnecessary. As Amber said, there is no winning this argument. If we were all able to try it for a year, maybe, on both sides…with a child at every stage…then maybe we’d have a rounded perspective. We all make our own choices in life and deal with our own circumstances. Being honest about the job of parenting is a step forward. Pretending it’s all roses and smiles (I love being a parent 24/7!) is not only dishonest, but doesn’t make you any more appreciative of your kids. We all love our kids. But parenting is tough. A little camaraderie and empathy go a long way. We’re all in this together, Becca. Don’t be a playa hater.

Hahah, I feel ya. I drink coffee every morning.. and afternoon. I wish alcohol made me relax but for some reason every time I drink since I had kids, I get completely drunk after 1 drink, and pass out after 2. So no more drinking for me lol.

It’s 4:30p here on the West Coast and I am enjoying a cup of coffee with a scoop of ice cream therein. 2 weeks ago, I started a Candidia Cleanse in which both coffee and wine were verboten. The author of said cleanse obviously has no children.

I must say my favorite part is the tag at the end… Especially “judgemental people are ugly!”

I need and love coffee.I need at least four good cups a day. I work at a private school (K-8) therefore I am never free of kids…even worse! I can’t smack those kids when they get on my last nerve. I am frazzled to heck when I get home and I warn my twin kindergarten girls that I need some time to drink my coffee and de-stress of I might have to spank them just for the kicks and jolly of things. Yes, they leave me alone as I might have that CRAZY MOM look in my eyes. I can manage dinner, homework and any chores that need completing until “Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home!” is screamed at the top of their lungs. This is when they somehow can no longer hear mom nor see mom and totally act up. You would think these girls were brought up by a bunch of monkeys! I grab another cup of coffee and head into my computer room where I try to ignore the destruction on my house. I come out to serve dinner, wash the dishes and retreat when the animals have all fed. I swear if I had wine I’d be a happy drunk because I don’t think I would stop at one glass–hence, I don’t hit the wine. Lol.

Yet again, she tells it like it is folks!!! I wish I liked coffee and wine. A big no to both for me. My substitutes are a coke at about 10am and just banging my head against the wall in the evening. Although a good really cold beer does hit the spot every now and then. Not to mention a shot of tequilla!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: vodka makes me a better parent. A cocktail at dinner/bath/bedtime hour turns me from a bitter/stressed mom to a fun-loving giggling relaxed mom. My kids LOVE me after a cocktail.

Yes, coffee is what keeps me going. And I get vodka or rum instead of wine, but I’m trying to keep it to weekends only – gotta lose the baby weight somehow so must cut down on calories and increase exercise – um..right.

Finally managed to give up the evening bong hit after DD turned 7. We used to joke that all parents of young children should receive valium or joints in the mail from the government so they could wind down.

And Tea in the morning (and the afternoon). No matter how much caffeine I need, I can’t stand coffee. I am proud to say I’ve cut down to 4 teas a day now.

It does get better when the kids get older… although I don’t have teens yet, so no comment on that period!

Yes, children made me go back to coffee. I am also one of those moms who has switched to box wine. Hehe, can have a small glass, still nursing, and a few days later another one and it’s still good. Hey, I’m a mom, I need to be economical!! Love your posts!!

I’m coffee and even more coffee later. Obviously my children are monsters. Perhaps this also explains why I both start and end my days worrying about the countless ways they will either be hurt or damage something….or worse THE MESS…oh the mess.

We call it “self medicating” in our house. I’m a total caffeine lightweight in general (very sensitive) but now self medicate with coffee or tea in the morning. Half a cup of whatever, before noon (so I can still sleep at night.) The caffeine is to give me energy (keep eyes actually open.) Then I self medicate with chocolate for mood (don’t kill anyone) throughout the day. Same affect as you. “What are you doing?!” changes to “Show me what you’re working on.” My husband, who does the morning drill with the kids while I run to work, self medicates with caffeine in the morning and beer each night. He howled at your blog when I showed it to him. I actually bought him a mug for xmas that reads, “Daddy need sleep” on one side and “but he’ll settle for coffee” on the other.

‘m teaching my 18 month old how to operate the Keurig. He can help me put the mug in (I’m just afraid he’ll drop it), open the machine, put the pod in, close the machine, and press the brew button. I have visions of lounging on the sofa some future day asking him to fetch me my coffee, of course, in my vision, I have my feed up and he docilely obeys me which should probably hint to me about the likelihood of it coming true, but hey – a gal can dream.

there was a really bad patch mid-year for morons with no sense of humour posting comments (pet annoyance, and laughing before and after kids spring to mind). i’m glad you’ve stuck with the disclaimers, as well as the FAQ list on the website… and you thought nobody would read it!

LOVE it! Coffee is my “I can’t get through the rest of the day without this 2pm” necessity. And YES to the wine. And in the morning, tea…but now that baby girl is getting bigger (and will soon start chasing little boy) I think I am going to need morning coffee as well.

As for sneaking chocolate? oh my goodness…I thought I was the only one!!

I am totally agreeing with the other ladies about it being okay to drink while bf. It IS true that there is only as much alcohol in your breast milk as there is in your body. So one glass after a feeding and you will be perfectly sober for the next feeding.

Yes…Coffee at 5am, coffee at 7am, coffee at 10am…you get the picture. No wine, though. I switch over to tea around 8pm. If I drank as much water as I do coffee, I bet I’d feel pretty good Hmmm…Must find caffeinated water!

It strikes me as odd that someone who so strongly disapproves of stay at home parents would even want to read a blog written by a stay at home mom. Also, maybe it’s been a while since you had small children, but they do take naps and most SAHM’s I know like to use that opportunity to take a break for a second before cracking into the housework and such. There’s nothing shameful about admitting that our kids drive us crazy sometimes and there’s no way anyone could ever truthfully say that their kids have never gotten on their nerves at all, unless they never see their kids. This is supposed to be a positive place for parents to visit and feel uplifted for a second with humor…this doesn’t strike me as the place to troll around looking for people you don’t like. If you don’t like the people here, just leave! It’s pretty simple. Just go do something else, if all of us SAHM’s irritate you that badly…like look at working mothers’ blogs instead. I think that crowd would suit you better. And for the record, I am a SAHM who really has had a career outside of my home, and I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to come home and yes, I love being here and it truly is a wonderful feeling to get to be around my kids. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t carry its own stresses.

This was the best, and oh , how I relate! And am glad you added the bit about chocolate, because that is vital. My own little blog is titled “Chocolate, Tea, and Naps” (I can’t drink coffee any more*sob*) and I used that name because that is exactly what gets me through the day. (Before anyone wonders *how* I manage to get naps, I have two teens as well as a nearly 5 and nearly 10 year old.) the title nearly had “wine” in it, because that too is essential, but I didn’t want my mother to freak out, lol!

Mine was a big, red organic delicious apple that I’d bought at Whole Foods, and when the 3 were down for a nap, I would reline in the lounge chair outside and slowly and methodically eat my apple. Mine, all mine that I didn’t have to share with inquiring, hungry little eyes. My precious that I looked forward to every day. Other times, while I was making supper, I would get dark frozen cherries out of the freezer, and huddle over them while I chopped veggies and secretly pop them into my mouth. I needed them so my I would have stable blood sugar so I could make supper.

I know you don’t write your blog for me, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I was happy to come across someone that had such an entertaining way to present the funny/frustrating/worthwhile moments that we moms have every day. I thoroughly enjoyed it until the F-bomb and other choice words gave me pause. Can funny come without crass? Like I said, I know you don’t write for me, but I hope you stick around, and I’m guessing I’m not the only mom that appreciates the “cleaner” humor you started out with. Thanks for the laughs.

I LOVE your blog and relate to all of your posts so well. I have turned so many friends on to your blog. As a mother of young children…I am super sensitive to the profanity. I really enjoy reading your stuff but get turned off by the f*** stuff. Just my humble opinion.
Thank you for offering something so real to read.

I love the cussing, it’s a personal preference.
I am much more interested in the meaning of a word than it’s history as being a “bad” word. I recently read about the origin of the words “bitch” and “cunt”, they were lovingly used to describe not just women, but goddesses. I enjoy the little jolt that the bad image these words can bring to a conversation and I like to keep on my toes thinking for myself, not just what the masses have decided. I don’t worry when my son says “this is fucking awesome”, I do want to address something like “you’re stupid”.
Being offended by cussing seems like a waste of time. Be offended that people are starving, that children are bullied, that bad shit is happening. Cussing isn’t one of them.

I know that drill. And then when the kids are all out of the nest, you say, “I just drank all that coffee and wine because THEY needed me to have it.” But you keep doing it, because by after so long you have passed the point of no return.

Dear Amber I wish you would post some crappy thoughts about people who compare their child to yours. They go like “oh my gosh your daughter is 5 months old and doesn’t walk yet? Mine is climbing up the Everest now…and she’s only a week ahead of your daughter!”

This post was exactly what I this morning. I
basically stopped drinking coffee when I was pregnant, but between recently moving and my 4.5 month old screaming for an hour straight last night, I bede this cup! Thanks for your awesome blog! I absolutely love it!

Love, love, love it! I’m a coffee and wine gal too! With 2 young boys, I use the coffee to wind up and the wine to mellow out. But I must admit, reading this while having my coffee this morning gave me a little extra boost! Thanks!

I just discovered this wonderful place a few days ago. Thank you Amber, for reminding me why after 21 years of raising my own children, I’m enjoying the chaos of raising my granddaughter. ( And why my coffee habit has increased from 1 cuppa to 4, LOL.)

Bubbles- ignore the comment from Becca, she’s been posting numerous negative comments here. It’s a stress releasing hobby, to feel superior to other people, not personal! Most of us have a great sense of humor! =0) Have a lovely day. x

Clearly I need coffee rather than tea in the morning to wake me up, so I go into fabbo energetic parent mode rather than just about functioning mode.

All you non-drinkers while pregnant might be interested to know something I didn’t discover until after three TT pregnancies. The studies showed the best brain function etc in babies from the 1-10 units per week group not the 0 units per week group. The odd drink whilst breast-feeding won’t hurt your child either. Nor did air stewardesses on long haul flights putting a teaspoon of vodka in the babies’ bottles when they took them to warm them, just gave everyone a better flight, shame that practice has stopped!

My eldest (13) has for many years responded to my non functioning moments with “Mummy shall I make you a cup of tea?” It’s a great moment when you realize they’re old enough to do these things, hang on in there!

They’re an acquired taste, when you NEED them enough you will acquire them! Sometimes I use camomile tea as a de-stresser because (despite my teenager’s cry of “it’s 5 O’clock somewhere”) I do feel the sun should be over the yard arm before starting on the alcohol and my kids can wind me up a long time before that

Believe it or not, I actually do have a rooster. And I assure you, esp. in summer, my kids are up before he crows. I felt the same about coffee…I hated when people said, “Oh, I just need my cooooffffeeee”, all dependent and pathetic. Now I’m reading this, sipping my coffee, while my kids watch Spiderman. Ditto on the wine. I just thought: what a GREAT shower gift: a bag of coffee beans and a bottle of wine!! Haha.

Yup, chugging my 20oz bubba mug full of coffee while reading this. (some usually comes out my nose due to laughing, so I don’t really drink ALL 20oz) Just started on the wine at night thing, but I have noticed it calms me down too, plus lets me sleep through that 3am wake up to my brain over thinking everything going on lately. Ahh..so nice to be part of a group. haha!

I’ll admit to tea in the morning, thought I have recently given most of that up as it turns out that my iron pills are my “precious” (JR Tolkien reference) now… but I have yet to move on to wine. Hmmmm…tough I did notice that my hubby finished off the bottle of Bailey’s last night. Has he been holding out on me? Have you all been holding out on me?

I was a coffee & wine mom (2 cups of coffee a day, a glass of wine a few times a month) and then I got pregnant with #3. This baby is apparently already plotting with it’s older sisters, because it HATES coffee. So now I enjoy a large mug of hot tea and a diet coke….And I spend more time on Twitter.

The days my husband has had to stay home with the boys (3 and 18 month) he tells me how glad he is that he gets to go to work! lol I almost hate when he has to watch them because it’s all he can do to keep the baby in a clean diaper and both fed. The house is always a wreck. I cam home from work and he flat out said “I don’t know how you do this.” lol

This is literally what every parent in the US must do to some extent. I’m pretty certain that children obtain their endless energy by draining it from the adults closest to them. Because, really, there’s no other explanation. And it makes all the coffee & wine (though I prefer beer) perfectly acceptable.

LOL, I am now 49 years old and my daughter recommended this sight since she reads it all of the time. My progeny are now in their 20’s but I was pregnant or nursing for over 5(FIVE) years! When the youngest weaned I had 1 (ONE) wine cooler and nearly passed out. Now, I know that in moderation, as stated by Sarah and Erin, I could have had a small drink from time to time. Of course, now that I’m a grandmother, it’s easier to have those energy reserves for the little ones because they go back home!

Oh, many blessings to you for this blog. My daughter was right, this is wonderful! What I appreciate the most? This is a SUPPORT to other moms, NOT another “you’re a horrible mother if you do/don’t do (blank).” Parenting, especially being mothers, is a full time job whether you spend any time working at a paying job or not. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for being a fresh, healthy and supporting voice!

I was directed to your blog from another sight…that was about the funniest thing I have ever read!!! I am not a coffee drinker, my drug of choice is a large McDonald’s Coke in the morning, and yes, a good glass of wine at night is a treat!!

LOL! For me it’s Mtn Dew and chocolate! I used to always get on my husband’s case for drinking too much Mtn Dew (and really, he does drink way too much) but I now have 5 kids, including 1yr old twins, and Mtn Dew is sometimes the only thing that keeps me from locking all the kids in cages and going back to bed lol (no, I would never really lock my kids in cages).

I do the bathroom break too! Only time I can use a computer/tablet/iPhone without my 3yo asking me to play Angry Birds just for a little while. That on top of lots of coffee and the occasional wine/beer.

My prenatal nurse actually recommended drinking beer while breast feeding, especially ones like guiness, as it helps your breast milk. So don’t feel guilty about the occassional indulgence. My coffee addiction started when I was pregnant with my first. Had awful morning sickness and it actually helped settle my tummy. Have not looked back since.

I’m fully a tea totty. I go to that pot straight away in the morning. Some nights when I *KNOW* I’m going to be extra tired in the morning, I prep it all the night before. Little guy knows… “mama have cuppatea?” Its all one word to him. LOL

I never really understood the phrase, “I need a drink” until I had a toddler. I could totally take or leave alcohol before that. After being “on” all day long, it’s hard to turn off the hyper efficiency once they’re in bed.
When I feel down on myself for not getting as much done as other moms I know seem to, I have to remnd myself that other moms have caffeine. I try to avoid caffeine unless I really need it as I am a bad sleeper. Days when I do have it, I can actually get stuff done.

Another good recommendation is that deliciously healthy PIMS (it has fruit in it!!)for those sunny afternoons in the garden with the kids when their friends come around to play. Makes everything a lot more relaxed and fun!

Gah! I had put in a response on my phone and it apparently didn’t take. I just wanted to say how much I love this post, as it reflects my life so well. My own little blog is titled “Chocolate, Tea, and Naps”, as they are what get me through the day. Tea, because I can’t drink coffee any more (*sob*), Chocolate…well, that is obvious, and naps because I just can’t do without. (For those who might wonder HOW I can get a nap in, I have two teens who are awesome helpers with the 9 and almost 5 year old younger siblings.)I would have added wine to my title, but that would probably have made my mother think I was an alcoholic.

This blog is like a shiny new toy for Me. And this post was delicious. I love my uppers and downers too. Coffee has always been my morning friend, but now (after children) it is my morning savior. And wine…ahhhhh I thank God for it.

Thanks for the smiles! My girlfriend sent me your link after I posted that it was a 2 row of Oreos kind of day. My days have come down to just that…I determine the good, the bad and the ugly based on how many rows…not cookies, mind you! Coffee is a must, wine is a blessing, and Costco buyers should be KISSED for their chocolate covered blueberries, which I keep in my car!! And, my 4 little buggers KNOW those are Mommy’s treats! Hands off (unless, of course, I share -after the wine)! Ya know the premise of the comment “Sense and sensibility”? I think it should be “Sense and Vice”!!

oh oh, what concerns me is the diminishing “boost” effect coffee is having on me! i have 10-yr-old & 1-yr-old (who is an overall dreamy sleeper, but still mama has had interrupted sleep since last Jan…you know how it is) and my a.m. coffee doesn’t give me that temporary “I can do anything!” feeling it used to…

Oh! And p.s. a little coffee & cocktail for mama is preferred to the coping strategies of old….once I asked a septuagenarian friend of mine what she did about her four babies’ sleep and she said, “oh honey, back then the doc just gave us a little phenobarbitol for when it got really bad…” (!!!!!!)

I fully support your coffee and wine drinking habits. I began drinking coffee after lunch, as a way to get through siesta time without actually stopping for a nap myself. That and I was really mean without it. With it, I am AWESOME at parenting. I am cheerful about reading stories and coming up with all sorts of preschooler projects and the whining that I must endure annoys me very little because I am waaay too happy to be bothered. About two weeks ago, I started getting stomach aches from the coffee and had to switch to black tea, but that works just as well.

yeah, I used to just drink decaf, because I really like coffee, but didn’t want to deal with the whole addiction thing I’d seen others deal with…then the baby. I limit to one cup a day due to breastfeeding, but oh that cup…and the occasional beer is good too

As a former stay at home mom now working mom (not by choice ), I have to say it is harder to work and parent, but not because of the scheduling and working “two jobs” but because of not being able to be where you heart really is. Having to choose between playing with your child as they tug on your hand and catching up on work and/or school SUCKS (have you tried doing all three of those Becca?). I very much look forward to the day where I can be home with my babies again and have them drive me stir crazy. And I didn’t get addicted to coffee again until I had a kid, had to go back to work AND school at the same time. I protested and finally dived into the dark chocolaty pool of caffeine (I mix in swiss miss into my coffee!)
Anyway, Becca, you attract more bees with honey. Being a SAHM is TOUGH. PERIOD. Has nothing to do with growing up. So too is being a working mom, but for completely different reasons. Lighten up!

This just cements my determination never to be a parent. I just wouldn’t have the stamina/self-discipline/fortitude, and it wouldn’t be fair to my poor offspring. I am in awe of anyone who does the parenting thing.

THANK YOU!!!! I’m not alone!!! Dear son is only 18 months and doesn’t actually ask if I’m awake, but getting him to sleep takes 30min- 3 hours and much of that time is spent poking mommys eyes, nose, ears, mouth, pulling hair trying to pet it (cuz by the end of the day it’s a fuzzy mess).

So very true. I have been a stay at home dad for 4 years. My son is 4 and my daughter is 2. I am not sure my wife could handle being at home now…I was pretty successful as work but that was much easier.

Its an epidemic. These kids are driving us insane, slowly but surely. Its more of a survival technique than a vice. Drink on, Mommies. Keep the generations alive. ( Because, you know, God made babies cute so we wouldnt kill em when they were old enough to cause trouble ) !!!

I am so glad my friend sent me your blog! You put a massive smile on face. I’m inspired. You expressed exactly what millions of moms are probably too shy or embarrassed to admit! I try to substitute organic green tea for the coffee as it helps to boost my metabolism and wake me up without the gas and bloating (sad but true). Plus the stained teeth and shaky liver I get from red wine ain’t pretty so I opt for chocolate and a footrub from my chocolate hubby (get it?). Looking forward to your next post!

Great Blog! Love when you said “Go to bed. I can’t handle one more minute of this parenting thing. I have to do this again tomorrow! How can I handle another day like this one? Nobody is listening to me!” It is my life too!

I’ve read/heard a certain percentage of the population is “caffeine-sensitive”, and I think I must be one. I can have a cup, but I need to “nurse” it over like 3 hrs or it makes me shakey etc. You might try spreading your one cup out a bit, watering it down, mixing in decaf… something like that!

I’ve never been a coffee drinker, the taste disgust me to no end, but even before having a kid I was a tea drinker because I’m not a morning person…AT ALL but I noticed that as my daughter progress into toddlerhood my tea is becoming far stronger in the morning and it’s rarely just one cup, and there are a lot of mornings where a diet coke has to top it up, nothing else will do.
And I hear you on the wine

So hysterical and true – how how how have I not heard of this blog before???
Oddly my little guy is always saying, “I don’t want you to drink coffee” and “I don’t want you to drink wine” and I’m thinking, like you, “Oh yes you do.”

Still, there are those crucial dead hours in there — post last hit of coffee, pre first shot of alcohol…1 PM to 4 PM or so…though when it gets darker earlier I think cocktail hour can reasonably begin at 3.

And Cara deserves…well, you know what you deserve. 99.9% of you here can only DREAM of raising the kind of kids I raised. And you don’t do it by showing them an example of drinking and “self medicating.”

your desperation is frightening. I hope you were able to get some help. you must be very alone to come on here and try so hard to put others down and yourself up, I hope you can reach out in real life and get the help you need.

I thought I was the only mom out there that actually used dimetap as a sleep agent for my children. they are all grown now, yes they lived and so did I. Damn shame they took the alchohol out of childrens medicines.

As an abstainer from coffee and alcohol before children as well, I was JUST having this exact conversation with someone. And I love how you don’t do it for YOU (insert mom-as-martyr stereotype here). No, it’s for them. Because eating your children is frowned upon.

Thank you. I just typed “I’m tired of saying no to my toddler” into the internets and somehow ended up here. I didn’t find the answer but I do feel better and have decided to screw my plan of cutting down on coffee. Maybe THAT is the answer.

It’s probably way too many days later for anyone to actually read this, but I just want to say that joking about addiction is certainly no worse than joking about any number of other things, like religion or death, which people do all the time.

I also believe this sort of joking even has a nod of respect to the twin realities of the situation – that caffeine and alcohol can be badly addictive and that addiction can be a serious problem for some people.

Just my two cents…

Well, here’s another cent or two – this is clearly a “tell it like it is to make light of reality” sort of blog. Please just avoid it if you’re not comfortable with that sort of humor, and avoid judging people by their senses of humor – maybe it’s contrary to conventional wisdom, but I don’t think a person’s sense of humor is actually a very good indicator of whether they’re warm, caring, loving people when/where it counts.

Go back a little farther and read the posts about drinking while breastfeeding. If that doesn’t make you cringe, I don’t know what will. Of course, parenting is hard, and working outside the home makes it more so. I don’t have a problem with stress relief, but let’s get real here. Don’t tell me your days are SO busy and SO stressful that you have to drink to cope with it all. Because if that’s the case, then you’re doing something wrong, and there is nothing funny about “needing” a glass or two of wine to make it through your life. Now THAT stinks of negativity and depression!!

I was just introduced to your blog. HILARIOUS and very factual! This one really describes me. My kids wake up ridiculously early…like 5:30am!!! (they are 4.5 and 2)..I HAVE to have my coffee POT in the morning and my bubbly in the evening.

My lactation guru assured me (and digging around on the internet backed her up) that as long as you aren’t nursing while actually feeling tipsy, you are just fine! Besides, he’s 2, I bet he’s not nursing every two hours through the night anymore and you can safely have a glass of wine after he’s in bed. My son nursed until just after age 3

It could be worse. I have 5 under the age of 5. The oldest is a 4 year old boy who constantly whines. Then there is the next boy who is a 3 year old terror. Then come the triplet 15 month old girls. One is learning to walk, one kicks butt and isn’t afraid of anything, and one cries at the top of her lungs until I hold her. Caffeine does nothing for me. So that, and then arthritis on top of it, leaves me in constant fatigue. Stressed and burned out is an understatement. The house is a wreck, but everyone gets fed and taken care of. I’ll have time to obsess about the house when they are all in school. So when you are having a rough day, remember it could be worse…you could have 5. LOL.

A… Correction. I never Said it was a RULE. What I said it that MOST LDS stay away from it because its a mind altering drug. I am not LDS. I lOVE my caffeine. I drink 3 16 oz cups of tea a day. I know it is not doctrine. I didn’t want there to be a misconception about it. Its not the coffee itself that they feel like they need to stay away from its the drug in it. You could live by a no caffeine rule and still drink decaf coffee. And its teas in general that are frowned upon.

I’m not trying to be rude or bitchy. I know there is a lot that the people of the church like to live by that most don’t understand. The LDS religion is a very tight nit group because there are a lot of misconceptions about them. Please don’t say I’m wrong about the closeness of its members, because I know how open they are to others as well.

No man gets I think tell they try it out. Mine acts like I do nothing all day. He gets home at 7-8 at night. Omg his suppers cooked, laundry’s done, house is clean, kids are bathed and ready for bed,or their sleeping. And I tell him my sisters taking them for a night so I can have a night out. He said why the heck do you need a night off. (Smack)Thats me banging my head against the wall. I don’t get him to watch the kids cause, like Hillary said, the house is a wreck. And then my time off isn’t cause I got to haul butt to get the house clean again…. But John WTG I love to see that some men do get it. Now if you could put messages on an ice rink or a bottle of beer, so the other guys understand the world would be happier!!!! LOL

Reading this with my giant 20oz mug of coffee in front of me that will be gone in a matter of minutes I actually said to my lovely little 2 year old this morning that 5am is too early for mommy to play and she told to make coffee.

A nice glass of wine before nursing the toddler to sleep is just what we all need some evenings. Joking….mostly

Oh my goodness I can’t live without the coffee!! And now that I have a two year old maybe I should think about taking up drinking. I have been so awfully impatient with her since being past my due date. I can’t wait for this baby to arrive and most importantly for Grandma to arrive!

I really enjoyed this post. I used to be exactly the same way: judgmental of those who drank coffee and “had” to have a cup in the mornings to feel functional. I made it through the first two kids, but after my third, I started drinking coffee. She’s now 1 and still wakes up a lot at night. I generally have 2-3 cups of coffee a day.
But anyway, I loved how your post put a humorous spin on how different we feel with coffee and wine!

WHY do kids wake up so early, and loud, and full of energy??? How is that even possible??? Can’t we all just stay in bed and wake up slowly and quietly??? Do we have to start begging for candy at 7:30am? And asking what we’re going to do today at 7:31 am?? Is a volume of, oh, say 2 so hard to accomplish?? Is this all too much to ask!?!?

Holy Cow! I want to add in my two cents about coffee and it takes a freaking half hour to scroll down to the bottom. Well, the microwave is beeping at me with my 3rd time re-heated coffee. Blame it on the kids screaming about which movie they want to watch, so I had to turn around and break up the fight. Honest, they’re pretty good when I’m watching them. Thank the world for coffee.

ME! ME! However, I throw a spin on it. I don’t drink coffee, (it doesn’t like me as much as I like it!) so I use a half of a No Doz…lol such a lightweight. Makes me shake like a crackhead too!…. but the cartoons are DEAD ON! lol… my nightly is hot tea.. I don’t drink. Again, it doesnt like me as much as I like it..

One time my daughter was in her cozy coupe and she had her “baby” in the seat behind her, and she put two of her plastic cups on the “dashboard”. I asked her what they were and she said “They’re my wine and my coffee, mommy, just like you!” LOL. Now I want it known that I didn’t drink both at the same time and never wine when I was driving, but obviously I drank enough of both that my two year old (at the time) knew it!

Love this post and disclaimer!! Huge coffee addict here, too. I also LOVE the occasional glass of wine…nothing better than a good wine-pass-out at night! As far as the comments about beer bringing in breast milk, after I had my 3rd baby, I was understandably stressed being home with 3 under 5. I kept a beer in the fridge and when things got “hairy” I would takes sips (or chugs) throughout the day, clamining I was “trying to get my milk to come in.” I never had a problem with my milk….just needed a drink of beer every now and then

I relate to ALL your posts, but this one……seriously, ROLLING ON THE FLOOR!!!!! I feel like I wrote this!!!! Passing it to every other mom like me I know! So good!!!! I even have a magnet on my fridge that says “Wine. Takes the Bitch right out of Me.” LOL

I just discovered your blog today, and I love it! I am sitting at work behind my lap top laughing. I have a 19month old son and another little boy on the way, I find this blog will help me prepare love it!

Some angry elves read this blog. I don’t think you are at all complaining about being a stay at home mom. Just like any other job… some people just need coffee in the morning and a glass of wine to relax. What is the difference between a job and being a stay at home mom? I don’t have kids, but I still drink a coffee in the morning, a pop at lunch, and tea or a beer at night. Man I’m all jacked up on Mt. Dew.

Just a side note… Roosters= not cool. They fucking suck!! I lived next to someone who had one when I was a teenager and the stupid thing woke me up every damn morning WAY BEFORE the sun came up! Also, totally agree with the post. Coffee/wine = necessity after kids

I am pretty sure you’re writing about MY life, right down to the crappy boy and crappy baby boy (almost 6 and almost 2). We co-sleep, breastfeed, baby wear, and cloth diaper…so I pretty much relate to EVERYTHING you write. Thanks for showing me I am not the only one dealing with it all….especially this particular blog I am reading as I drink my glass of wine!

Okay…I’m 67, but it’s me!! Especially the coffee! My grandson is learning when I visit, my brain doesn’t function till I get at least 1 cup of coffee! Your crappy stories bring back so many memories & I laugh out loud! Thanks!

Never drank coffee much but energy drinks after lunch I used to do BEFORE I became a mother.. when I was a full time farrier. Now I don’t usually drink anything with caffeine in it because both my sons are made wakeful by it through my breast milk. (recently stopped tandem nursing)

As for alcohol.. I wish but it gives me a head ache before I have even sobered up. Warm baths or a hot chocolate work well but am kicking that habit now too coz of the high sugar content. Only having it when I feel a bit coo-coo.

It really depends on what helps you as a parent as to whether or not you or your kids need you to have a drink or whatever so you can cope when all you really wanna do is scream. on a day like that.. I say whatever works.

My daughter is 15. I just stopped drinking coffee this week. Mainly because when they get to be teenagers they sleep later than you do. They call you names and mouth off constantly and you have to slap them down (verbally…relax everyone…verbally), but you get to sleep late on weekend mornings again.

Just make sure you don’t encourage them to do anything athletic that requires you to be on the field at 7 AM. That will suck.

OK, no one will probably even read this, but…when I had 5 little kids I was active in a religion that did not allow coffee or alcohol. Then years later, when I first started to drink coffee and wine my first thought was, “I could have been such a better mom if I had been drinking coffee in the morning and a glass of wine at night!” I thought that was just me. HA!

You’re singing my song, sister. I never drank coffee until I had the second kid. Now, all I drink in a day is coffee, wine, and water (not in that order!). Thanks for all your hilarious posts…it’s good for moms to know we’re all in this together!

I NEVER ever drank coffee, i hated the stuff. made it 26.5yrs w/o it… I will “kill” the first adult who tries to talk to me before I have it these days! I seriously just stumbled on this site bc someone posted it on fb and I am crying bc its soooo funny & true, i luv ur wit!

My baby is still too small and feeding too frequently for me to use alcohol, but coffee and chocolate help me through the morning. Then lunchtime. The early afternoon. After daddy gets home. And usually just after the one am dummy spit (if only he would actually take a dummy…). I’ve decided to worry about my expanding arse later.

I’m often amazed at what I can accomplish before the coffee is even percolated in the morning… what would it be like, I wonder, to wake up to the smell of a freshly-brewed pot of Joe? I’ll never know… But when I finally do get that coffee in my system, I’m super Mom with sparkles on. I’ve got tendonitis from coffee-pouring and thanks to daylight savings, we can pop open that bottle of Merlot at 3pm! YES.
– Lizanne

This has to be my favorite post of yours, it’s hilarious and completely true. As soon as my daughter outgrows her dairy allergy I’ll be drinking coffee everyday (We’re breastfeeding and I can’t drink coffee without cream or milk in it ’cause then it’s just not coffee). I know it’ll instantly make me a better mom in the morning lol.

(shakes head in complete total mother-to-mother bonding moment). Been there, done that. Coffee and wine make EVERYTHING better. Wine more so than the coffee. (said the mom with about 35 little travel size bottles of Jack Daniels stashed in her closet.) For Emergencies. Not that I need them or anything. Which reminds me, it’s time to visit the local liquor store again.

I love you. This could be the story of me, I swear. The only other “drug” I occasionally take advantage of is road biking. I can be completely stressed to the max and go do 30 miles and come back cheerful. Unfortunately, they look down on you locking your kids in dog kennels so you can go bike for a couple hours…. so I can only do that when my husband is around.

How do you get used to coffee? I’ve never had it before and I hate the smell of it. I could really use something to get me going in the morning. I don’t really want to just add a bunch of sugar and cream because then I’m drinking tons of calories. Ideas?

Every day. With gallons of green tea in between. I’m starting to feel like I’m writing this blog in my sleep and just didn’t know about it… Except that would mean I was asleep much more than I actually am.

I really love the part that you judged everybody that needed coffee until you one day experienced a need for it, like children (nice). So coffee is only okay, according to you in your small world, after having children?? Thank you so much for blessing this world with your deep thoughts and amazing art explaining it. Glad you have a blog and can make only the mothers of the world feel okay.

Oh how I envy the moms who can make it through the day on ONLY coffee and wine. I fight horrible major depression issues, and fought being medicated for a lot of years. I finally gave in when I had kids. Because my kids deserve a mom who will get up and play with them, not one who stays in bed and screams at them all the time. I don’t get to drink much because of the meds, but I do need that cup of coffee or tea in the mornings to get going too! Though I’ve been known to indulge in that small glass of Baileys on the rocks in the evening after a bad day as well. And it never fails that if I’ve had a rough evening, hubby shows up after work the next day with chocolate or my favorite sweet in hand. I love my hubby. Yay for coffee and wine! (and the other things that make us great moms)

Love it! 18 years ago when my son was 3, he saw a dead armadillo on the side of the road. He wanted to play with it. I said it’s dead you can’t play with it. He said, “let’s put water on it”. I said that would not work. He thought for a moment and said, “Let’s pour some coffee on it.” Obviously he had observed how coffee made his mom rise from the dead every morning!

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